Vehicle-body support.



A. P. ROCKWELL.

VEHICLE BODY SUPPORT. APPLICATION FILED MAR.19, 1906.

962,256, Patentedune 21, 1910.

A. F. ROGKWELL.

VEHICLE BODY SUPPORT.

l APPLICATION FILED MAR. 19, 1906. 962925@ Patented June 21,1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

JNI/ENTOR.

ED STATES ALBERT F. ROCKWELL, OF BRISTOL, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE NEW DEPARTURE MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF BRISTOL, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF CON- NECTICUT.

VEHICLE-BODY SUPPORT.

Application filed March 19, 1906. Serial No. 306,836.

To all whom it may concern: l

Be it known that I, ALBERT F. RocKwELL, a citizen of the United States, residin at Bristol, county of Hartford, State of onnecticut, have invented a certain new and useful Vehicle-Body Support,1 of which the following is a full, clear,` and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,x forming part of this specication.

This invention relates to means for resiliently supporting a body upon a base, and in the illustrated embodiment of the invention I have shown it as including a vehicle body v frame supported by the running-gear of a to facilitate the resilient actions of vehicle.

One of the objects of my invention is to rovide means whereby the shocks and jars incident to the travel of the vehicle wheels over -an irregular'surface willnot be communicated to 4the vehicle body.

Another object of the invention is to provide means to insure the comfort of the occupants of a vehicle, in doing which I aim to normally maintain the vehicle body approximately parallel with the runninggear irrespective of the location of the load on the body. l

Another object of the invention is to provide means for absorbing the shocks and jars to which the vehicle might be subjected in passing over inequalities on the road, and

the supporting devices for the body.

Other objects and advantages as well as the novel details of'construction of this invention will be specically set forth hereinafter, it being understood that changes in form, proportion and minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit ofthe invention or sacricing any of the advantages thereof.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a top plan View of a vehicle body frame and a running 'frame of a vehicle embodying myinvention; Fig. 2 is aside elevation thereof; Fig. 3 is an end view of the same; Fig. 4 is a rear view; and Fig. 5 is a sectional view on the line 5 5 of Fig. 1.

The reference numerals 11 and 12 designate axle casings which constitute parts of the base frame and in which are suitably j journaled the front and rear axles respectively. The said axles are connected in any suitable manner tothe traction wheels 13 of the vehicle which they drive. Journaled in suitable bearings 14 on the respective axles are longitudinally disposed p arallel rocking elements illustrated as shafts 15 and .16. These rock shafts are provided with depending rock arms 17 and 18 respectively, which are connected to a cushioning device illustrated as comprising two oppositely movable co-acting elements 19 and 20, between which may be introduced a suitable fluid cushion, such as air. The air may be introduced between the elements through the inlet port 19 from any suitable source of sup ly.. The casings 11 and 12 together with the longitudinally disposed rock shafts l5 and 16 constitute practically a running frame, and as has been heretofore stated, it is one of the objects of my invention to eiliciently provide a resilient support for the body which is superposed above said running frame.

The body frame is supported on what mightv properly be termed a three point support, in that connections are made at two points near one end of the frame, while a single connection is made at the Aopposite end of the frame.

The mechanism for providing the suspension or support is capable of various modifications, but it is herein lshown as including springs 21, one of these being shown near each end of each rock shaft. The form 4of torsional spring illustrated in the drawings com rises a coil xed at one end to the rock sha and provided at the other with an outwardly disposed arm 22 or 22. The arms at one end of the running frame, for example the front end, are connected to a transverse leafl or semi-elliptical spring 23, the ends of which ma be connected to the arms 22 in any suitab e manner, as for example by the links `24. The intermediate portion (preferably the center) 4of the spring 23 is;

provided with an upstanding lug 25 .pivotallyconnected to the body frame as at 26. The arms 22 'near theopposite end of the frame are shown as bein connected to longitudinally disposed lea or semi-elliptical springs 27 and` 28 respectlvely. These springs are connected to the arms-near the neuter of saidsprings, and one end of each l "a spring is shown as being connected directly to the body frame, as at 29, while the opposite end of each spring is connected to the endsof a transversely arranged semi-elliptical spring 30, by the links 31. The spring 30 may be sus ended or hung from the body frame 10 y the hangery 32 carried by said frame. The. arms 22 are shown as being curved outwardlyv land then inwardly to .engage clips 33- whichengage said-springs 27 andv 28, which compose the connections between -said body frame andsaid arms at l-one end. The arms near theother end of said frame project straight outwardly, being connected to the transverse spring 23 which constitutes the connection between thebody and said latter named arms. In order to prevent outward spread of 'said rock shafts 15 and 16, I have rovided a tie-bar 34, the ends of which engage the respective rock shafts', which are movable therein.

In order to assist in maintaining-parallelism between the body frame and the running-gear under vnormal conditions, I may utilize' a suitable means for causing the entire body to be depressed when weight is applied rto anyone'part of the vehicle body. A simple form of doing this may include a transverse rock shaft 35 journaled in bearings 36 and 37 supported upon said rock shafts 15 and 16 at lany suitable point, but

, in this instance near one end of the vehicle. .y The rock shaft is provided with rightangularly disposed fixed arms 38 and 39,

-which are in pivotal connection with the running-gear. Due' to the peculiar manner in whil the several coperating devices are disposed, a certain amount of up and down movement of the wheels will be permitted without communicating this movement to the body frame, which will be maintained in practically a horizontal plane at all times.

By providing the combination of a fluid cushion', a ytorsional spring and the leaf springs, I aim to provide a hi hly resilient support for the body. The e ectiveness of such a combination as the one above given will be readily understood. One advantage of such a combination is that by providin the fluid cushion, torsional spring and lea. spring, the differences in their resilienc will tend to absorb shocks on lthe road an prevent said shocks being communicated to the body, and further, any tendency of any spring or set of springs to accelerate any movement of the body -will be, counteracted by either or both of the other springs. I

am aware, 'however that a mechanical spring, such as a coil spring, for.exampl e, might be substituted for the air cushion 1f desired. Although for general use I refer to have the shafts 15 and n16 rock, may find under certainconditions vthat it is desirable to prevent said shafts from rocking,

and I make provision for holding said shafts.

rigid as-for example by vpins 42 and 43 through the nds of the tlc-bar 34 and the said shafts, these pins being removable, so that they maybe readily taken outv when desired.A

My co-pen application. Serial No. 259,860 includes in its subject-matter a structure having a base, rockable elements upon said base, arms'upon said rockable elements,

a body connected to said arms and movable toward and awa from said base, other arms upon said rocka le elements, and fluid cushion mechanism between said last mentioned of the rocking elements, one part of each torsional s ring being fixed to a rocking. element, arpid a body frame spaced from the rocking elements and connected to the torsional springs. 1

2. The combination with a baseframe having rockable elements'fof a cushion con'- nected to said rockable elements to resiliently resist movement thereof, torsional4 springs coiled around said rockable ele- ,ments, arms projecting from said springs and rigid therewith, a body frame, and convnections between said arms and said body frame. A

3. The combination of two frames, one of which is provided with rocking elements, a Huid cushion for resisting the movement of said rocking elements, torsional springs coiled on said rocking elements, leaf springs connected to the second frame, and connections between the leaf springs and thetorsional springs.

4. Thecombination with a base frame, of rocking elements on said base frame, a body frame spaced from said rocking elements, and 'rock arms terminating in coiled springs carried bythe rocking elements and connected to the body frame.

5. The combination` with a supporting base and a body, of `connection between said base and body and including Vrockable elements, and means for locking said rockable 10 ments, a spring device opposing the moveelements to said tie-bar to prevent rocking. ment of said rockable elements, and means In testimony whereof, I hereunto aiiix my whereby sail? rockable elements can be locked signature, n the presence of two witnesses.

a ainst roc in g. The comnation with a supportin ALBERT F ROCKWELL' base and a body, of connection between sai, Witnesses: base and body and including rockable ele- B. F. FUNK, ments, a tie-bar between said rockable ele- ETHEL L. TOLAU. 

